Bare Feet and Bared Hearts
by NicoleMuenchSeidel
Summary: This is an AU of the "Skin Deep" dungeon scene when Belle leaves. What if Belle stopped by the great hall to see the wreckage of Rumple's meltdown? What would she have done? Written during "Queen of Hearts" when I needed some RumBelle feels, it has been updated to include revelations from the FTL part of the "Lacey" episode. This is a one shot, but may become a series of one shots.


**Author's Note: This is written with great respect, love and gratitude for the talents of Robert Carlyle, Emilie de Ravin, and everyone involved in of Once Upon A Time. I do not own these characters.**

* * *

Belle feels a rush of pain as she chokes out her words to a stone faced, Rumplestiltskin, "Now, you've made your choice...and you're going to regret it..._forever_.", and her voice cracks, "All you'll have is an empty heart and a chipped cup."

She quickly turns on her heel, determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Making her way down the corridor to the narrow stairway, her dam brakes as a flood of tears overtake her. A mixture of grief and anger wash through her being. She laments, the _arrogant bastard_ seemed to enjoy hurting her. Dazed my her misery, Belle instinctively turns to the main hall and peers into the room where they had spent so many hours. She observes the debris of utter destruction; broken glass, shattered porcelain and the curio cabinet in ruins.

Trying to will her feet to move to exit the castle, Belle lies to herself, thanking her lucky stars, _"I'm better off without such a mad man." _

Yet her words have no effect, she remains in place surveying the wreckage. It is the wreckage of a life that might have been. She tries to make sense of the recent events in the context of the man she came to know in the previous months. The contemplates how she ardently believed there was good in him and he proved her right, when in spite of his anger at her, Rumplestiltskin protected her from the Sheriff of Nottingham, and then spared Robin Hood's life despite his thievery. He had looked adorably lost after she hugged him and mesmerized as she spoke of her thoughts on love. She ponders, _"...and what of the kiss? True love's kiss had worked. He loves me...how can he be so cold?"_

Rubbing her forehead, Belle mutters, "This doesn't make sense."

Wiping the tears from her face, she shakes her head, then her lips purse and twitch from side to side as an idea forms. Reaching down, she unfastens the buckle of her shoe and removes it, then does the same with the other. She places the shoes at the end of the hall, in case she needs to make a hasty retreat. As stealthily as possible, she travels back down the stairs, and the length of the corridor leading to the dungeon, noticing a strange muffled sound.

Sitting on the stone bench of the dungeon, weeping out his misery, Rumplestiltskin futilely tries to convince himself that he has made the right choice. Head hung low with eyes closed, _"Sending her away was the right thing to do."_, he says to himself, as the weight of many realms seem to press down on his shoulders.

The weight is so intense that he almost does not notice the peculiar sensation of fingers raking through his wavy mop of hair. He opens his eyes to see a pair of beautiful bare feet standing on the floor in front of him.

In a slightly maternal tone, Rumplestiltskin hears Belle whisper, "You're such a liar.", as her fingers continue to slowly knead his scalp.

He slowly raises his head, as he desperately searches within himself for some anger with which to repel her. As his dark eyes meet her blue eyes reddened from crying, her porcelain features are framed by a halo of lush dark chestnut hair, and he thinks to himself, _"Gods! I have to I push her away again?" _

Moving her hand from his hair to wipe his tear soaked cheek, Belle says, "Look, I know you're angry with me. I'm not really sure why, but you've made it abundantly clear that you are. Well, I'm pretty angry at you too...but I just _know_ if I leave, we will _both_ regret it forever."

Looking at her with a dumbfounded expression, he doesn't have the strength to fight, as she sits next to him on the bench with her body flush against his. She says, "I propose that we sit here until we figure this out...or you can physically remove me from the castle..." and then gently nudging him with her shoulder, "...but you don't look like you're up for a fight right now."

Rumplestiltskin stares at her in baffled silence. A small smirk appears on Belle's face, and she leans her head on his shoulder. Completely stymied, his shoulder never felt so light. Minutes tick by as he watches her toes wiggle on the stone floor. She feels a movement of his shoulder under her head and lifts her head as he takes the opportunity to put his arm around her shoulders. In silence, she snuggles against him, resting her head on his high collared brocade jerkin and tucks her feet up on the bench under her skirt. They both quietly contemplate the seeming impossibility of their relationship, yet the undeniable misery that would come if they parted. After a while, Rumplestiltskin hears an odd hum emanating from Belle and realizes that she has fallen fast asleep overcome by the exhaustion of their chaotic day. He leans his weary head against hers, deciding to rest _just for a few minutes_.

Several hours later, a bright stream of sunlight taunts Rumplestiltskin's eyelids. Turning his head way from the assault of light, he cautiously flutters his eyes open. His left arm is still around Belle's shoulders. He tilts his head to get a glimpse of Belle's face, which holds a serene expression. He is still uncertain how to make things work with Belle, yet is even more certain that he always wants to wake up with her next to him. He notices an unfamiliar sensation in his right hand. He looks down to see his fingers entwined with Belle's, as she holds his hand firmly against her body, like a cherished security blanket.

Rumplestiltskin smiles and softly rubs is scaly thumb against the back of Belle's hand, as he whispers, "Belle?"

Belle moans softly, mindlessly rubbing her thumb against the back of his hand and snuggles more intently against him. He stifles a laugh of joy, but the rumble of his body wakens her further. Belle feels the silk of his shirt sleeve against her cheek. Initially assuming she is having a lovely dream, she rubs her head against him, and then she feels the tingling of her foot having fallen asleep. Opening her eyes, Belle begins to recall the events of the previous night. Rumplestiltskin sees a blush of embarrassment and uncertainty on her face. The previous night, Belle's courage and certainty had buoyed him, but in the bright light of morning, her certainty appears to be waning. It is now his turn to be the strong one.

Before Belle can pull her hand from his, Rumplestiltskin grasps it firmly and says, "How about we figure things out over breakfast?"

Belle's expression of worry transforms to relief, and she says, "I like that idea."

He clears his throat and says matter-of-factly, "I'll make breakfast. You're a horrendous cook."

A small gasp of shock escapes her lips. He smiles sweetly and says, "I'm not always a liar."

Looking both a bit hurt and a bit amused, Belle stands up and turns to face him, "How about we make breakfast _together_? That way, you can teach me how _the great Rumplestiltskin_ likes his meals fixed."

He stands, then gazes down at Belle, "The deal is struck." and winks. Hand in hand, they start to walk to the door, then he stops, "Belle."

Smiling brightly, she responds, "Yes?"

Letting out a contented sigh, he says, "I love you."

Her brow furrows as she fights back tears, "I love you too, Rumplestiltskin.", and he reaches to embrace her.

After moment, pulling away slightly and crinkling his forehead, he asks, "Belle, what happened to your shoes?"

Sticking her chin out proudly, "I took them off before I came down stairs in order to sneak up on you."

Shaking his head, he says, "I think I'm going to have my hands full with you."

With a tilt of her head and a raised eye brow, she says coyly, "Let's have breakfast _first_."

* * *

The first morning's sun filters through the curtains of the bedroom in Rumplestiltskin's Storybrooke home, bringing his awareness to the present moment. Belle, as usual, has managed to tangle herself in the blanket, while still adhering her cold feet against his leg. He strokes her head which is laying on his chest.

With a slight grumble, Belle says, "You're awake already?", then stretching and turning to face him, she continues, "Did you have sweet dreams?"

He smiles and softly brushes a strand of her hair from her face, in a pleased tone, he says, "It ended up that way."

She cranes her neck to have her lips join his. Their lips mingle softly in a quiet moment of joy. When the kiss concludes, he asks, "Ready for breakfast?"

She rubs her chin against the whisker stubble on his chin, and queries, "Ten more minutes?"

Wrapping his arms around her, stroking her back, "Make it fifteen."

She smiles and nibbles his chin for a moment, as her tongue feels the prickly sensation of his stubble. Then Belle rests her head back on his chest, entranced by the sound of his heartbeat. Rumplestiltskin smiles, lets out a sigh, and closes his eyes, enjoying this time with his love.

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**That's all folks! This may end up incorporated into another story or remain as it is. I may add other small pieces here that are not necessarily meant to construct a story, rather just be little vignettes that I become inspired to write. Time will tell. Please leave a review/comment. Feel free to leave prompts if there's something you'd like to see, and if it sparks my muse, I may write it. If you want more _now_, take a look at my full fledged RumBelle stories: "Metamorphosis Through Love", "What's Next?", "We Are All...Reunion of Twin Souls" and "Not Just A Cup".**


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